Bus service improving

September 11, 2012

Tiffin City Schools Transportation Department has been working very hard to improve the bus service that is being provided to the students in the district. Please know that your patience is appreciated as a new system is implemented. The number of students transported this year has more than doubled-from 600 last year to more than 1,200 this year.

The commitment to transport all K-8 students who live more than a half-mile from the school they have been assigned is a huge undertaking. Tiffin City Schools has 18 buses on the road before school, 16 after school and another eight during the school day to transport half-day kindergarten, preschool, special education and vocational education students.

Keeping those numbers in mind, there has been considerable improvement since the first day of school. For example, in the morning, the last bus is now dropping students off 45 minutes earlier than on the first day. All buses now are arriving more than five minutes before classes officially begin.

In the afternoon, the last bus now is returning to the garage more than an hour and 20 minutes earlier than on the first day. Tiffin City Schools still is working on reducing the amount of time the students are on the bus at the end of the day. There is a commitment to hire more drivers so more routes can be created, which will shorten the trips home. A request for drivers already has been posted and candidates currently are being screened for these positions.

To help the youngest riders exit the bus at the right stop in the afternoon, a bus aide has been placed on the buses to account for all students. This service will be continued until the kindergartners and first-graders are more comfortable riding a school bus; the bus service provided will continue to improve.

Although no system is perfect and individual concerns are being addressed, I hope the significant improvements that have been made in just a few weeks show our commitment to safely transport eligible students to and from school.

Please know how much we appreciate the support of parents, family members and this community as we strive to provide a safe and efficient bus system for your children.